Submarine boat.



S. LAKE.

SUBMARINE BOAT.

APPLICATION FILED sEPT.26, 19m.

1,149,373 Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESS/58' w IVl/E/VTOH 5 MON Ln m.

S. LAKE.

'SUBMARINE BOAT.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-26. 1914.

Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

3 SHEETS- SHEET 3.

INVENTOR mon Ln m;

' A TTOR/VEV UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SIMON LAKE, OF MILFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSTGNOR TO THE LAKE TORPEDO BOAT COMPANY OF MAINE, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

SUBMARINE BOAT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

Application filed September 26, 1914. Serial No. 863,627.

Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIMON LAKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milford, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Submarine Boats, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to provide a novel arrangement of driving mechanisms for operating the propeller shafts of submarine or submersible vessels, wherein the engine room is-necessarily of restricted area, so that greater power, and consequently higher surface speeds may be obtained than has hertofore been possible in this class of boats, the arrangement being such that the power is applied directly to the propeller shafts in separate units, with the units of power arranged and distributed so as to suit the speed and control of the vessel when operating either upon or entirely below the surface of the Water.

Theinvention consists in providing the propeller shaft or shafts of the boat with a single gear-wheel, designed to be meshed by a plurality of independently operated driving gears, the said driving gears being so arranged with respect to the driven gear that all of them may be simultaneously in mesh with the driven gear-wheel, means being employed for adjusting the driving gears into and out of mesh with the driven gear-wheel, whereby to control the power and speed of the boat when operating upon the surface, and for operating the propellers when the boat is completely submerged.

The invention further consists in a peculiar and novel construction and arrangement of a sound-proof gear-room within the main hull to prevent the noise incident to the meshing of thevgears from being heard in the working and other compartments of the boat, means being provided for lubricating the gears, and means also being provided for independently adjusting the driving gears into and out of co-action with the driven gear-wheel.

The invention further consists in the pe-- culiar and novel combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter fully described and then claimed.

In the drawings illustrating the invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure l is a diagrammatic horizontal section drawn through the after end of a sumarine boat llustrating the general arrangement of the invention. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic vertical longitudinal section drawn on the line a a of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transeverse section, on a larger scale, drawn on the irregular line bb of Fig.1. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section drawn through the gear room on the line 00 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic plan view illustrating the means for adjusting the driving gears into and out of mesh with the driven gear. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section drawn 'onthe arc (Zd of Fig. 3.

1 designates the after end of a submarine or submersible boat, in the extreme aft section of which are bulk-heads 2, 3, 4 and 5, providing a series of fuel tanks 6 and a ballast tank 6 commonly employed in this class of vessels.

Forward of the bulk-head 5 are transverse partitions 7 which are preferably extended upwardly for only about one-half the height of the hull, and forward of the front partition 7 is a transverse partition or bulk-head 8, which, with the bulk-head 5, provides an engine compartment 9.

The bulk-head 8 is provided with a doorway 10 which is referably provided with a door (not shown controlling the entrance to the engine compartment 9 from the forward end of the boat.

Between the bulk-head 5 and the aft transverse partition 7, and also between the forward partition 7 and the bulk-head 8 are horizontal partitions 11 and 12 providing base-plates for the engines 13, 13 and 13 of any suitable design. The space thus formed below the partition 11 provides a ballast compartment 14 and the space below the partition 12 is preferably divided by transverse partitions 15 to provide a central motor compartment 16 containing motors 17, hereinafter referred to, and water ballast compartments 18 upon opposite sides of the motor compartment 16.

In practice, the horizontal partitions 11 and 12 will be supported by longitudinal girders to provide a firm foundation for the engine, but as these girders will be of the usual construction and arrangement it is not thought necessary to illustrate them.

The space between the transverse partitions titions 7' to provlde compartments 7 on each side of the longitudinal center of the boat, which compartments 7" I shall hereafter refer to and claim as gear rooms. The upper ends of the gear rooms are closed by removable covers 19 as shown.

It may be stated here that while I show the space between the transverse partitions 7 divided by the longitudinal partitions 7 to provide two gear rooms, I desire it understood that I do not limit myself to this construction as it is obvious the partitions 7 may be omitted to provide a single compartment or gear room. In the construction shown, however, there is arranged a horizontal partition or platform 20 providing a gangway between the gear rooms,

and in practice the space thus formed below the partition 20 may be employed as a ballast or fuel tank as desired.

. 21 designates the propellers, the shafts 21' of which, are journaled at their after ends in the hull stufiing boxes and in brackets in theusual manner, and have their forward ends extended into the gear rooms 7 and journaled in suitable bearings 22 mounted within the said gear rooms, the shafts being extended through the after transverse partition 7 and through stuffingboxes 22 secured to said partition as shown best in Fig. 4.

In practice the propeller shafts 21 will be provided with suitable clutches 23, shown diagrammatically in Fig. 2, any suitable means, not shown, being employed for operating the clutches from within the engine-- room.

Mo'unted upon each propeller shaft between the bearings 22 is a gear wheel 24,

, preferably having a peripheral groove for the after partition 7 and through a stufiing box secured thereto and has its extreme forward end provided with a tapered socket in which fits a correspondingly shaped stud 25' projecting from a disk 26 secured to a transversely disposed plate or frame 26', one end of which is securely connected to one of the ribs (not shown) of the hull and at its opposite end to theadj acent partition,

7 the lower end of said plate or frame being positioned in the groove formed in the gear 24. It will be obvious that the plate or frame may be cut out to'receive the gear 24 and thus the groove in the said gear may be dispensed with; however, I prefer the construction shown as it not only permits of the employment of a deeper and consequently stronger frame, but also the employment of gear teeth of a width substantially equal to those of the driving gears presently explained. Upon the forward end of the shaft 25 is slidingly mounted a driving gear 27 having its hub extended and provided with an annular groove 27 to receive anti-friction rollers carried at the free ends of arms 28 extending from a vertical rock-shaft 29 journaled at its lower end in a bearing mounted upon an angle frame 29 arranged transversely in the gear-room, and at its upper end in a sleeve supported by the removablevcover 1-9 of the gear-room. The extreme upper end of the shaft is extended through the said cover and provided with a segmental rack 30 which is meshed by a worm 31 carried by a shaft 32, journaled in suitable bearings supported by the said cover and having its inner end provided with a hand wheel 33 by which the shaft is rotated. The shafts 34 and 35 of the intermediate and forward engines 13 and 13", respectively, are extended into the gear-room 7 through the forward partition 7 and through stuifing' boxes secured thereto, and have their extreme ends provided with tapering sockets to receive tapered studs 36 extending from disks 37 secured to the forward side-of the'plate or frame 26, and slidingly mounted upon the inner ends of the shafts 34 and 35 are driving gears 38 and 39 respectively, each having its hub formed with an extension having an annular groove 39 in which operate anti-friction rollers carried by arms 40 extending from vertical rock shafts 41 and 42, respectively, mounted at their lower ends in suitable bearings 43 and at their upper ends in sleeves extending from the cover 19,

the extreme ends of the shafts being extended through the said cover and provided with segmental racks 44 meshed by worms 45 carried by rotatable shafts 46 mounted in bearings supported by the cover 19. The inner ends of the said shafts 46 are provided with hand operating wheels 47 as shown.

The shaft 17 of the motor 17 is extended through the after transverse artition 15 and through the forward partition 7, and also through stuffing boxes secured to said partitions, into the gear-room 7 and has 1ts inner end journaled in a suitable bearing mounted within the said gear room, and upon the inner end of the said shaft 17 1s slidingly mounted a driving gear 48 havmg its hub extended and provided with an annular groove to receive antifriction rollers carried by arms extending from a vertical rock-shaft 49 suitably mounted in the gear room and having its upper end extended through the cover 19 and provided with a segmental rack 50 which is meshed by worm gears with the rock-shafts, it will be under stood that, by rotating the hand wheels 38, 47 and 53 in one direction or the other, the said rock-shafts will be correspondingly rotated to thus throw the driving gears into i and out of mesh with their co-acting driven gear.

In order to confine to the gear-rooms, the noise incident to the meshing of the gear teeth,I provide the gear-rooms with a lining of cork, asbestos, or other suitable soundproof material 60, so that the noise will not be carried to the engine rooms or other working compartments in the boat. To lubricate the gears, lubricating oil is poured into the gear-rooms to about the level indicated by the line L, Fig. 3, and in order to lift the oil up to thedriving gears carried by the engine shafts I provide each shaft 21 with a wrist pin 55, upon each of which is journaled one end of a connecting rod 56 extending from a piston rod 57 carried by a piston (not shown) operating in a pump cylinder 58 mounted in each gear room. Each pump is provided with an inlet pipe 59 which extends downwardly to the bottom of its gear-room, and with a discharge pipe 59 which extends upwardly over the driving gears carried by the engine shafts and'is provided with discharge nozzles as shown. The inlets and outlets to and from the pumps will be provided with the usual check valves (not shown) and it will be un derstood that by' this arrangement, that during the entire time the propeller shaft is in motion,-its pump will be operated to thus pump the oil upon the gears to keep them thoroughly lubrlcated.

As shown in Fig. 1 the engines and motor are arranged out of vertical and horizontal alinement, so that the drive gears carried by the shafts 'of the engines and the motor mesh the driven gears at different points on their circumference, and inconsequence, when all of the engines are running and their drive gears are in mesh with the said driven gears, a'certain amount of flexibility is obtained, as the strain upon the driven gears is distributed throughout different radii thereof. By this arrangement, it will be seen that greater power is supplied in separate units direct. to the propeller shaft and the units of power are better distributed to suit the control of a vessel than in the present arrangement of locating the engines in tandem where it is necessary to couple their shafts together and to the propeller shaft. Furthermore, by my invention, a certain amount of flexibility is added, since one ormore of the units may be operatively connected to the driven shaft atone time, depending upon the speed desired.

It will be understood that when running submerged, undervpower from the storage batteries, the driving gears of the engines are thrown out of mesh with the driven gears, and the gears of the motor shafts are thrown into mesh with said driven gears, and when charging batteries, while the boat is running, it will also be understood that the gear of one or both motors is thrown into mesh with the driven gears to thus drive the motor from the engine power to operate the dynamos in the usual way. It-

1. In a submarine boat, a gear-room built adapted to mesh said gear-wheel, independent means for operating said driving gears,

and means for adjusting said driving gears into and out of mesh with said gear-wheel of the propeller shaft.

2. In a submarine boat, a sound-proof gear-room built within the main hull of the boat, a driving propeller having the inner end of its shaft extended into said gearroom and provided with a gear-wheel, a series of driving gears meshing said gearwheel, independent means for operating said driving gears, said means being arranged exteriorly of said gear-room, and means for adjusting said driving gears independently into and out of mesh with said gear-wheel of the propeller shaft.

3. In a'submarine boat, a gear-room built within the main hull of the boat, a propeller having the inner end of its shaft extended into said gear-room and provided with a gear-wheel, a series of engines mounted within the boat, each having its power shaft extended into said gear-room and provided with a driving gear, a motor mounted Within the boathaving its shaft also extended into said gear-room and provided with a driving gear, and means for adjusting said driving gears independently into and out of mesh with the gear-wheel of the propeller with a gear-wheel, a series of driving gears adapted to mesh said gear-wheel, said driving gears being so arranged whereby they may be simultaneously in mesh with said gear-wheel, and means for adjusting said driving gears into and out of operative position with said gear-wheel of the propeller shaft.

5. In a submarine boat, a sound-proof gear-room built within the main hull of the boat, a driving propeller having the inner end of its shaft extended into said gearroom and provided with a gear-wheel, a series of driving gears adapted to mesh said gear-wheel, means operable exteriorly of said gear-room for adjusting said driving gears into and out of mesh with said gear-wheel of the propeller shaft, and means for lubricating said driving gears and said gear-wheel.

6. In a submarine boat, a gear-room built within the main hull of the boat, a lining of sound proof material for said gear-room, said gear-room adapted to hold lubricating oil, a propeller shaft, a gear-wheel thereon arranged 1n said gear-room, a series of driving gears adapted to mesh said gear-wheel, independent means for operating said driving gears, means for adjusting said driving gears into and out of mesh with said gearwheel of the propeller shaft, and apump operatively connected to said propeller shaft for pumping oil from the bottom of said gear-room to lubricate said driving gears and gear-wheel.

7. A submarine boat, having twin propellers, gear-rooms built withm the main hull of the boat into which the inner ends of the shafts of said propellers extend, bearings for the inner ends of-said propeller shafts, a gear arranged upon the inner end of each propeller shaft, a series of driving gears meshing each gear-wheel of each propeller shaft, independent means for operating said driving gears, means for adjusting said driving gears into and out of mesh with their co-acting gear-wheel, and means for lubricating said driving gears and gearwheels.

8. In a submarine boat, having twin driving propellers, shafts therefor, gear-wheels onthe inner ends of said shafts, soundproof gearrooms,'built within the main hull and into which the inner ends of the propeller shafts and their gear-wheels extend, engines mountedwithin the boat out of longitudinal alinement, each engine having its shaft extended into its respective gear-room, a driving gear adjustably mounted upon the inner end of each engine shaft, means operable exteriorly of said gear-rooms for adjusting said driving gears into and out of mesh with their co-acting gear-wheels, and means for lubricating said driving gears and gear-wheels.

9. A submarine boat having twin propellers, sound-proof gear-rooms built within the main hull of the boat on opposite sides of the longitudinal center thereof and into which the respective propeller shafts are extended, a gear-wheel mounted upon the inner end of each propeller shaft, a series of independently operated engines mounted upon opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the boat, each engine having its power shaft extended into its gear-room on their respective side of the boat, and provided with a driving gear adapted to mesh its coacting gear-wheel, said engines bein arranged out of longitudinal alinement w ere by their driving gears mesh their co-acting gear-wheels at different points on the peripheries of their co-acting gear-wheel, motors mounted within the main hull, each havingits shaft extended into one of said gear-rooms and provided with a driving gear adapted to mesh its co-acting gearwheel, and independent means for adjusting saiddriving gears into and out of mesh with their co-acting gear-wheel.

10. In combination with a driven element, a plurality of driving elements, means for operating said driving elements arranged fore and aft of said driven element, and

means for adjusting said driving elements gears, and independent means for adjusting 10 0 said driving gears into and out of mesh with said gear-wheel.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of September, A. D. 1914.

SIMON LAKE,

Witnesses PHILIP B. BRILL, C. E. ADAMS. 

